A total of 70 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or stronger were detected on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters last year, a level similar to the yearly average over the past 20 years, the state weather agency said Sunday.

The 2021 figure is up from 68 logged the previous year and is similar to the yearly average of 70.6 since the country began tracking related data with a digital system in 1999, according to the data by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Of the total, 16 cases were detected in North Korea and its surrounding waters, it added.

Of the 70 cases, 65 were measured at a magnitude of between 2.0 and 3.0, followed by three cases in the 3.0-4.0 magnitude range and two at a magnitude of between 4.0 and 5.0. The country also experienced an additional 672 quakes calculated weaker than a 2.0 magnitude.

The strongest one that took place last year was a 4.9 magnitude quake that hit the southern resort island of Jeju in December, the KMA said. It did not cause any casualties.

The highest number of earthquakes on record was 252 in 2016, followed by 232 in 2017, the data showed. (Yonhap)